For current video hosting websites, such as YOUTUBE, the user interface includes a video display window where a currently selected video is presented, along with various means by which one or more other videos may be selected for viewing. In interfaces that are designed for display on a computer screen, the user can select another video by selecting a hyperlink or a thumbnail image that is displayed in a sidebar or by entering a keyword search for a new video.
However, the arrangement, appearance, and behavior of these user interfaces are designed to be used by a user of a conventional computer having input devices such as a mouse, which allows the user to easily move a cursor to any point on the display device, and keyboard, which allows for direct alphanumeric input. As such, these user interfaces become difficult to navigate when applied to televisions or other devices where the user input device provide very limited input controls. For instance, many televisions are controlled with a simple directional input device that has only up, down, left, and right buttons or keys, such as a directional pad (“D-pad”) or the “arrow keys” on a keyboard Such devices do not provide for full, arbitrary placement control over a cursor, but instead only allow for limited vertical and horizontal movements.
The problem is compounded as the number of available videos increases. Many video hosting websites host millions of videos, thereby making it all the more important to provide a user interface by which the user can easily browse and search for content of interest. Additionally, many users can now very easily view video content from video hosting sites on televisions and other display systems operated by D-pad type controllers, rather than with a computer mouse and keyboard. Users continue to expect to have the ease of use they are familiar with from their computer experiences in the different system environment of a television or similar display device.